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Berlin Aims To Complete Sidewalk Circuit Work

BERLIN — Roughly $40,000 was dedicated by the Berlin Mayor and Council this week to finishing repaving on three town roads as well as to complete a sidewalk on Jefferson Street. The addition of that sidewalk will finally complete the circuit from Main Street to Washington Street.

“What we will end up with is a contiguous sidewalk all the way from Main Street to Washington Street on both sides,” said Mayor Gee Williams. “I think that’s great.”

Finishing the Jefferson Street sidewalk will cost $7,682 and will be done by Worth Construction. Besides finally finishing the path between Main and Washington streets, the new sidewalk will also allow public works to complete all work on Jefferson Street by summer’s end.

“This would complete Jefferson Street, which will let us later in the summer do the paving on Jefferson Street so that road will be complete by the end of the summer,” said Public Works Director Mike Gibbons.

Jefferson Street will be one of three streets slated for work this spring and summer, some of which will be extensive while some will be more cosmetic.

Washington Street will be getting a bit of a facelift along the section in proximity to the ice plant that connects with Broad Street.

“The proposal is to wedge it, which will level it out somewhat,” said Gibbons. “And then the ends and the sides will get milled.”

In the interest of longevity, a two-inch asphalt overlay will be applied to the street instead of the standard 1.5 inches.

Other road improvements will be made to a section of Franklin Avenue.

“The next area is Franklin Avenue that starts at Brian Avenue and goes to Nelson Street,” said Gibbons. “Again the edges and ends of it will get milled.”

However, more significant repairs will be needed for two sections of the avenue that Gibbons called “fairly deteriorated.” Those spots will be excavated and repaired.

The final strip of road on the board for asphalt work will be the intersection of Esham Avenue and Quillen Drive.

“We had some utility work done there some time ago and there is some sediment so the entire intersection will be milled,” said Gibbons.

All told the road work was bid out at $31,980 to Chesapeake Paving.

On behalf of the council, Williams stressed the importance of bringing all roads and public right of ways in town up to a high standard. The system can also have a positive effect on the visitors which support the town’s tourism trade, he added.

“See if we get nice sidewalks every year they don’t have an excuse for not walking,” said Williams.